Various things, including some crace information about sieges, women as samurai, what ninjas really were and an article claiming that swords (like katanas) were mainly a secondary weapon.

[Tepok]

After a little bit of Internet research, I end up with this compilation of articles(wikipedia being pretty useless). Sadly, nothing about ladders, rams, and wall climbing:


http://www.jcastle.info/resources/vi...Sengoku-Period

This small article hold small interesting information: the yamajiro(mountain castle) like in the video, were pretty small, didn't have any moats or turrets ors similar structures. They were daimyo safehouses and watchtowers. During the Sengoku period, these yamajiro began to disappear for hilltops, bigger structures.


http://sengoku-period.wikia.com/wiki...s_of_Nagashima

At the end of this article, we learn that some sort of canons were used in japanese sieges (In this event, they were ship mounted). This article is also an example of extreme reaction, in order not to surrender.

http://sengoku-period.wikia.com/wiki/Siege_of_Osaka_Castle

Same website, interesting fact: By the end of the period, foreign canons were imported, and some iron built were domestic. This castle had a moat.


http://asianhistory.about.com/od/jap...man-Castle.htm

As you can see here, some castle were pretty climbable. But a bit more slowly than what was shown... It would take me at lest 40 seconds to climb this with weapons.


http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/katchu/katchu.html

In the "late middle ages" paragraph, we learn that armors became heavier (because of arquebus fire) for the ones who could afford it. Try climbing with the heavy one. Still, average weight should still be doable.


http://www.japanese-castle-explorer.com/map.html

See for yourself for Japanese castles, look for the eras. (Very good website)


Miscellaneous

http://asianhistory.about.com/od/ima...muraiwomen.htm
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/war...njaProfile.htm

Not completely related, but some samurai were women, mostly to defend their homes, but some skilled ones went to war.
Second link is a must read from the same website on what Ninjas exactly were (just to stop the )
http://www.samurai-archives.com/sts.html

A wall of text about how swords were secondary weapons

[american samurai]

From what I have learned by studying very old samurai prints, swords were not nearly as important as the spear. During the Edo period when guns were abolished for the most part and large battles did not occur swords became the weapon of choice.

[Tepok]

That is exactly what was said in the article: Katanas and the like became well known because they were the weapons that were carried during the whole history of the samurai caste, but depending on the period, bows, spears or arquebus were the primary weapons. But due to their nature, it often happened that this weapon became inoperable, forcing the samurai caste to rely on blades for "what if" situations.

Glad to see that some people study thoroughly some periods.

[american samurai]

That is exactly what was said in the article: Katanas and the like became well known because they were the weapons that were carried during the whole history of the samurai caste, but depending on the period, bows, spears or arquebus were the primary weapons. But due to their nature, it often happened that this weapon became inoperable, forcing the samurai caste to rely on blades for "what if" situations.

Glad to see that some people study thoroughly some periods.

Also the armor changed during the Edo period from the traditional armor to more light weight portable types of armor and armored clothing.

[Hazbones]

I will rep you just for having the longest title for a thread I have ever seen!
+rep

[Tepok]

I will rep you just for having the longest title for a thread I have ever seen!
+rep

Thanks!

I'll rep back just because that reason was silly!

[Spainish Avenger]

In this period of Japan the cav in the game look much to powerful